Climate Change and Security Dynamics in Southeastern Europe

Climate-related risks not only pose new challenges but also aggravate already existing threats to security. They could change the dynamics and response strategies in existing conflicts or lead to breakouts of instability, especially in regions marked by significant diversity, latent insurgency and competing geopolitical forces. Southeastern Europe (SEE) is one such region often described as the contact point between East and West; North and South. It often serves as a gateway to Europe from regions such as North Africa and the Middle East. Furthermore, its geopolitical significance has often turned it into the playground of global competition where the transatlantic activity of the European Union (EU) and NATO meets the economic interests as well as security aspirations of Russia, and increasingly China.

• By engaging a small yet diverse pool of regional experts in a strategic foresight exploration;
• by presenting concise, easy-to-understand and intellectually stimulating scenarios, and
• by providing actionable policy recommendations,

this event and the policy paper to be presented strive to contribute towards raising awareness, better preparedness and agile response to changing climate-related security dynamics in the SEE region.

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Mariana Trifonova
Program Director & Senior Analyst, Economic Policy Institute – Sofia

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Yordan Bozhilov
Director of Sofia Security Forum

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Andrei Covatariu
Senior Associate at Energy Policy Group (Romania)

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Dr. Nenad Stekić
Research Follow, Institute of International Politics and Economics (Serbia)

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Lira Hakani
Program Officer, Public Information and Participation, Environmental Center for Development Education and Networking (Albania)

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Dr. Monika Panayotova
Assistant Professor, International Relations Department, University of National and World Economy (Bulgaria)